Drawing to Help Myself Remember The Kids Favorite Things

My three year old Aurora would be so surprised if she knew that her best stuffed friend is here drawn in her favorite color pink! Drawing has given me a great way to capture memories of my children and their well loved treasures.

Taking a Trip to the Zoo Art Journal Page

We had so much fun at the zoo. It was a spur of the moment decision to go. We actually had chores and other work to do. They are only 3 and 6 and I refuse to miss any of the fun that comes with right now. Besides the work will always be there after our 3 hour detour! Staying focused in the present and at total peace with that.

Instant Indoor Pool Art Journal Page

I drew this to document my off the wall idea that worked out really well! It's a 10' x 30" pool enclosed by a 10" x 20" easy up car port. It keeps the dirt out, is private and with the help of a DIY solar heater stays at a fairly comfortable 72 degrees. The girls and I love it!

My Daily Life From Morning to Night

As suggested by Paper, Paint, Pencils and Pens for May 16 - May 31: "My daily life from morning to night" each day different! suggested by Elisa Choi here is my submission.  This theme was an interesting way to stay aware of how I was spending my time.  It also gave me a fun art journal page.  Drawn using colored ball point pens.

Warm and Cool Copic Painting Conveying Feelings Through Art Journaling

This is my husband's hand, as I traced it I had no idea where I was planning on going with the page.  I just needed a starting point and he was a willing participant.  I remember liking the way his thumb looked the character it had in its shape and lines.  I remember the bumps as I crossed over the wedding ring that has been on his finger for over six years.  I filled with love for him in that moment.  That's really what love is about isn't it?  Falling in love with the same person over and over again.

Checking in with Paint Party Friday

Pet Rat Love Art Journal Page

An art journal page as a celebration of how much my family enjoys our pet rats.

Lovey Dovey Art Journal Pages

I'm a sucker for a warm sunny day, couple that with a 10 or less mph breeze and oh yes it's pleasant happy dreamy day for me.  I spent a good portion of the day just looking at the trees, wildlife and fresh crisp blue sky.  Everything was so perfect.  Doodled art journal pages with watercolor markers.  I liked the way the journaling for the bottom page is right side up on the left and upside down on the right plus the colors make the words almost disappear.

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Drawing a Pink Cupcake Perched on a Photo Bottle

What is it about pink cupcakes that make them look so yummy?  Anything else in that shade of pink would make us think twice about tasting it.  Not so with this delicious creation.  Drawn on the page with colored pencil this is also the spread that hosted the lizard and daisy.  Coming together in such a fun random way.  In my head this scene makes total sense!

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Winter Hanging On Tight

I kept thinking of last year at this time it was 80 degrees!  My kids were playing with the sprinkler and I laid out tanning all of us in bathing suits.  Now a year later they were making snowballs and laying out angels all of us in jackets, hats and gloves.  It reminds me of how truly unpredictable life can be and I appreciate that.  Through it all  I wouldn't change a thing.

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I Lost My Dog Today

My dog died and it sucks.  It was eerie when I took out his papers this evening and read that his birthday was today, how often do deaths occur on birthdays?  The odds are 1:365 I guess.  He was suffering for a couple days and on some level I am relived that he is in peace but I miss him so much.  It's hard because the kids miss him too.  I couldn't tell them the truth they're so little and innocent.  I said that he went to spend the rest of his days on the farm and wouldn't be coming back.  I figured it conjured up images of big green fields for him to run in.  That's where I'd like to think he was too.

Yes, Zeal and I Did It!

Y is for Yes and Z is for Zeal.  I did it, FINISHED!  The ones I loved I added to my final page as a reflection of the journey.  I learned a lot about my character during this practice.  The things that really mattered and some self flaws that I was willing to let go.  Thanks to Bernice for hosting the A to Z of Me and the inspiration to make these pages for my journal.  Thanks to everyone that shared supportive comments along the way.  Now with this done, I'm really looking forward to getting back to my other art projects.  Does anyone else have spring on their mind?

Vision, Words and X Marks the Spot

I have lots of chores to catch up on tonight since I was shopping in town this afternoon so I will leave you three more A to Z of Me pages with V is for Vision, W is for Words and X Marks the Spot.  Two more and I will be DONE.

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Google+ Self Image, Try and Unique

I've added the new Google+ Follow tool.  All the talk on the web of Friend Connect being the old model suggested to me that an upgrade was in order.  The art journal pages today are S is for Self Image T is for Try and U is for Unique in the A to Z of Me the series.  The other completed pages are here.  Bumping this post over to get Show Me What You Got up and running.  Looking forward to seeing everyone's work this week.  Did you do any letter work too?

Shared with Paint Part Friday

Possibilities, Qualities and Responsibilities

 Have you ever just had to do something?  I've started this adventure through the alphabet and darn it I'm going to see it through.  Here are P for Possibilities, Q for Qualities and R for Responsibilities.  It's given me interesting starting points for regular journal writing and taught me that patterned paper can be a pain to work with.  Down right annoying when I did the writing for P nothing showed up very well.  Probably should go back over with a white gel pen.  If you'd like to participate the page is A to Z of Me and you can add your creations to the link up until the end of March.  The other pages I've made are here eight left to go, well past the half way point.

O is for Openness - A Little About Me

The smash book had a page of questions worked into it.  The perfect page to fulfill openness!

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March Daffodil Art Drawing in Progress and N is for Nature

I felt free spirited and bought a 9 x 12 sketchbook.  Lately, to add a new book I feel like I need to have some sort of artistic direction to take it in.  I used to just buy books then figure it out later.  Either way as long as the books don't stay blank, that would suck.  I'm going to take this book through the year with seasonal changes and gratitude.  The work in progress drawing is of our daffodils in the front garden.  I'll post the completed art after I finish the last of the A to Z of Me journal pages.  Today's letter is N for Nature not too much detail.  With this project some pages really jump out at me and others lay flat.  Maybe this one will be more complete after I get my actual writing down on it.  Some other pages worked out that way too.  Every creation especially in art journaling is its own journey.

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M is for Mindfulness

After much deliberation on the subject I decided to add a fancy rat to the family.  Her name is S'mores and she is about 6 weeks old.  I haven't owned a rat in sixteen years.  At that time I raised a male Siamese rat named Snoopy.  He was a great pet, it's unfortunate that they don't have longer lives and that was my main hesitation for revisiting them as pets.  No sense in the end keeping me from enjoying the journey right?  This art journal page was written, gesso covered, stenciled, doodled and revisited on three different occasions before the final subject came to rest on it.  It was the first page in the book maybe that's why it was such a struggle to nail down.

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Sketches Sunday

L is for Laughter

03-15-2013 In lieu of going to the flower show my mother and I took my daughter's to the art supply chain to get our spring fling on.  It was actually quite enjoyable to walk slowly up and down the aisles and admire the flowers as if we were at an exhibition.  The little girls loved it.  Going as far as to sniff and say oohs and aahs at the very pretty ones.  As souvenirs from the experience they each got a pair of binoculars.  This frog was one of the funny things we saw while there, it's not every day you see a yoga frog.  I felt he was lucky, maybe it was the gold tipped feet and hands?

K is for Kindness

03-14-2013 The A to Z of Me has distracted me to the point that I didn't even get to a mixed media painting this week.  I'm a little dry on ideas anyway.  I'm hoping something will come along this week to cultivate more creativity.  Do you have any special rituals or behaviors that you enjoy doing to recover your sense of artistic wonder?

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Art Journal, Soda Can and J is for Journey

03-11-2013 So much has been artistically buzzing around in my head for several days.  I've been wanting to get things down on paper but for whatever reason I've been resisting.  Stubborn.  Tonight I settled into my art space and drew the journal page it's a memory of our 2 yr old Aurora during the end of February.  I was gushing so much about her when I reread it I saw the use of "and" a lot!  The Can was something I was drinking it's a five minute, "Do It Now" drawing.  You may remember that I did this with toys once before.  I like the way I feel when I tell my inner thoughts to shut up and just draw.  Finally the last photo is from the A to Z of Me series I'm working through this month.

Art Journal Page

Five Minute Can

J is for Journey

Shared with A to Z of Me Art Journal Every Day

A Favorite Thing